14. Rev. Peter W. Breitsch (2001 - Present).

Reverend Peter W. Breitsch served as Pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Hackensack, NJ from 1983 to 1997 and had previously been an assistant pastor in Upper Dublin, PA. He is a 1982 graduate of the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia and, in 1983, he received his Master’s of Sacred Theology from the same seminary. While serving the church in New Jersey, Pastor Breitsch received a teaching fellowship from Fordham University and completed a PhD dissertation on late medieval apocalyptic thought and its interpretation in the writings of Martin Luther.

13. Revs. Jerilyn Brown & Peter Breitsch (1997 - 2001).

Reverend Jerilyn Brown served as a co-pastor with her husband at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Hackensack, NJ from 1983 to 1992, Grace Lutheran Church in North Arlington, NJ from 1995 to 1997, St. John from 1997 to 2001, and has been Pastor of St. John in Elma, NY since 2003. She has a WA Degree from Upsala College and a M.Div. Degree from Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia.

12. Rev. Ronald H. Rude (1985 - 1996).

Reverend Ronald H. Rude served as Pastor of our congregation from 1985 to 1996. Pastor Rude was born May 10, 1953 and married Nancy 1974. He graduated from Adolphus College, St. Peter MN in 1975 and Luther/Northwestern Seminary in St. Paul MN in 1979. He was ordained in 1979 and has served as Pastor at Faith Lutheran in Isle MN, Mission Developer of All Saints in Norwood MN, as Pastor of St. John, Prince of Peace in Denver and Lutheran Campus Pastor at the University of AZ in Tucson from 2001. During his tenure at St. John, the ELCA was formed with the merger of the ALC, LCA and AELC synods and we sponsored ELCA missionaries in Nepal. Pastor Rude emphasized the continued integration of Hickory Street members and Amherst/Clarence members, youth accessibility through the addition of Contemporary Worship to the strong Traditional Worship, kid-friendly coffee hour, and youth ministry.

11. Rev. R. M. Ireland (1972 - 1984).

Reverend Robert M. Ireland assumed the Pastorate in October 1972 and resigned in September 1984. He held the title “Pastor Emeritus” until his death in 2003. Pastor Ireland had attended Officer’s Candidate School while in the military, held an engineering degree, and worked professionally as an engineer before going to seminary. He had previously served our daughter congregation, Redeemer Lutheran on Doat Street.

10. Rev. Glenn D. Appleby (1969 - 1972).

Reverend Glenn D. Appleby was called in September, 1969, and served until 1972, when he accepted a position at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, serving in the development and public relations office from 1972 to 1974. Pastor Appleby’s passion was communications - print and TV. He hosted an hour-long live television program on Channel 29 every Saturday morning called INTER-VIEW. In 1974 he became development director for the Oesterlen home in Springfield, Ohio, a residential group home for troubled teenage boys. Pastor Appleby then became minister to First Lutheran in Donnelsville, Ohio but remained active in communications, serving as editor of the Ohio Lutheran in the late 70’s, and serving on the communications board of the Ohio Synod. Pastor Appleby passed away on December 16, 1980 at the young age of 44 from heart disease, complicated by a childhood bout of polio.

9. Rev. John Schmidt (1959 - 1969).

Dr. John Schmidt was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, came to the US as an infant and grew up in Grand Rapids MI. After graduating from Wittenberg University (1928) and Hamma Divinity School (1931) in Springfield OH, he studied for another year at the University of Leipzig in Germany. He was awarded an M.S.T. by the Chicago Lutheran Seminary in 1942 and an honorary Doctor of Literature from Roanoke College VA in 1944. Dr. Schmidt served parishes in Detroit, MI and Blacksburg, VA before being called as professor at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia SC. After serving a church in Toledo OH, he was called to serve the Lutheran World Federation in refugee resettlement after WWII for three years in Germany and Switzerland. Returning to the US, he accepted a call to a church in Columbus OH, then was called to St. John in December 1958. He guided the design and construction of our current church building in 1964. He was a guest professor at the Philadelphia Lutheran Seminary in 1967-68 and, on his way to a meeting of that Seminary Board, died unexpectedly following a heart attack on May 5, 1969. Dr. Schmidt was the author of seven books and several articles, was married to Zelma (Dennison) Schmidt, and had three daughters.

8. Rev. Martin J. Hoeppner (1929 - 1959).

Reverend Martin Julius Hoeppner was born in Norristown, PA, November 11th, 1898, and was a graduate of Grammar Schools and Norristown High School, Muhlenberg College, and Mount Airy Seminary in 1922. He was ordained at St. John’s Church, Philadelphia, PA on June 8th, 1922. He served as Pastor at St. John’s Church, Shenandoah, PA from 1922 to 1926, St. Mark’s, Lancaster, PA from 1926 to 1929, and St. John’s, Buffalo NY from 1929 until his retirement in 1959, retaining the title of “Pastor Emeritus” in recognition of his almost thirty years of service to St. John. He married Anna A. Wachhaus on April 14th, 1925 and died on April 7, 1960 after a lengthy illness.

7. Rev. Paul A. C. R. Kirsch (1928 - 1929).

Reverend Paul Andrew Constantine Reinhold Kirsch was born in Webster, NY, February 11th, 1889, son of Reverend John A. W. Kirsch, D.D. and Louise Charlotte Martha, née Leddin. He graduated with an A.B. degree from Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin and from Mount Airy Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA in 1911. He was ordained New York Ministerium on June 25th, 1911. He married Clara M. Haller of Buffalo, NY on September 25th, 1912 and was assistant pastor, St. John’s, Buffalo from 1911 to 1912, pastor St. Marks, Brooklyn, NY from 1912 to 1913, Immanuel, Meriden, CT from 1913 to 1928, and St. John’s, Buffalo, NY from 1928 to 1929. He became full-time Secretary of the United Lutheran Synod of NY in 1929.

6. Rev. Oscar W. L. Krauch (1915 - 1928).

Reverend Oscar William Louis Krauch was born in Weilemdorf, Wuertemberg, Germany, May 16th, 1871, son of Friedrich Jonathan and Pauline Suesskind Krauch. He attended Wagner College and graduated in 1892. He attended Philadelphia Seminary and graduated in 1895 and was ordained New York Ministeriurn in 1895. Rev. Krauch married Emilia Josephine Weitzel in 1895 and was Pastor of St. Peter’s in Verona Mills, NY from 1895 to 1899, Saugerties, NY from 1899 to 1901, St. John’s, Albany, NY from 1901 to 1915, St. John’s, Buffalo, NY from 1915 to 1928, and St. Luke’s, San Antonio, TX, from 1928. [Watercolor by Elmer Buze.]

5. Rev. Johannes Albert W. Kirsch (1897 - 1914).

Reverend Johannes Albert Wilhelm Kirsch was born on August 5, 1865 in Kappeln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He was the son of master tailor Andreas Kirsch and his wife Charlotte Agnes Johanna, née Wittgrese. After graduation from the local school, the gifted youth studied theology at various private institutions. He concluded his studies at the Theological Seminary at Kropp, Schleswig-Holstein in order to prepare for church service in America. On June 3, 1877 he came to America and on June 18 was ordained by the Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the State of New York in Rochester. His first assignment was in Brooklyn, New York as vicar to Pastor Dr. J.W. Loch of Schermerhorn Street. Then he was in Saugerties, NY as vicar to Pastor F.J.A. Leddin. Later he was appointed pastor in Webster, NY, Flatbush (in Brooklyn), and Canajoharie, NY. On July 3, 1896, he was called by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John in Buffalo.

4. Rev. Jacob Brezing (1887 - 1895).

Reverend Jacob Brezing was born August 10th, 1850, at Heiderbach, Nagold, Wuertemberg, Germany. He served the congregation at Heidelberg, Ontario, Canada, fourteen years, leaving to accept a call from St. John’s on August 15, 1887. It was Pastor Brezing who officially changed the name from the “Corporation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the City of Buffalo,” to “The Evangelical Lutheran St. John’s Church of Buffalo.” Under his leadership two other congregations were founded, those of Concordia Church in Northampton Street and the German Church of the Redeemer in Doat Street near Broadway. During his pastorate, a stately parish and school house, which adjoined the church, was built in 1888. Pastor Brezing served only eight years when he died suddenly after an operation at the General Hospital on November 28, 1895.

3. Rev. H. A. Kuever (1884 - 1886).

Reverend H. A. Kuever was born a teacher’s son around 1847 in Hanover, Germany. Trained in the teaching profession, he came to America as a young man and taught professionally a few years in Dr. E. F. Moldenke’s St. Peter’s congregational school in New York City. While there, he completed theological studies in the school’s seminary and was ordained in 1879. He served congregations in Canarsie and Woodhaven, Long Island, was assistant pastor to the Evangelical Lutheran St. Peter’s Congregation in New York City for a short time, and was called to minister to the St. John Congregation in Buffalo in 1884, which he managed for a little more than 3 years. While at St. John, he became ill, took leave from his office, and at his own request, was committed to the State Asylum. He remained unable to resume his duties at St. John and was dismissed after 1½ years. His illness was diagnosed as melancholia, from which he never recovered. He died in New Jersey in 1887.

2. Rev. Christian Volz (1857 - 1883).

Reverend Christian Volz was born September 29th, 1826, at Waldorf, Wuertemberg, of parents Friedrich and Anna Maria, née Schmid. He attended the county school eight years, was confirmed and entered the Teachers’ Seminary at Esslingen; from there he went to the missionary school, Chrischona, near Basel Switzerland, then taught deaf mutes at Gmuend. At twenty-two years of age he came to America, finding his way to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he studied theology for a year under Pastor F. Schmid, whose daughter he married. He then organized a congregation at Saginaw Valley, Michigan, then accepted calls to Bridgewater and later Lansing, Michigan. In 1856 he travelled east to visit Reverend Guenther, receiving his call from St. John’s a year later. He served this congregation twenty-six years, passing away suddenly November 14th, 1883 during a meeting of the Board at the St. John’s Orphan Assylum.

1. Rev. Francis H. Guenther (1833 - 1856).

Reverend Francis H. Guenther received his theological education at Hartwick Seminary, established in the early 1800's by the Lutheran pastor, Johann Christoph Hartwig, in Otsego County, NY. He was ordained in 1823. He was active in missionary work for several years in the Mohawk area, then worked six years in the congregations at Ernestown and Frederickstown in Canada. He was obliged to resign his pastorage in Canada in 1831 for health reasons. He resided for a while in New York, then served a congregation in Rush, NY near Rochester. In 1833, he accepted an invitation to visit Buffalo, where he founded the St. John’s Congregation and served as pastor for 23 years, until poor health and old age compelled him to resign his pastorate. He died on the 2nd day of June 1863, at the age of 70 years. Pastors Volz and Knapp officiated at his burial and his remains were interred in the congregation's cemetery among members of his flock who had preceded him into eternity. [Note, his monument in Forest Lawn Cemetery can be seen at this link.]